After the End
by hanger
Summary: A one-shot about what happens after Mack tells Jemma about what happened to Fitz in 5x22.


Jemma smiled down at Coulson. He would live, for now. At least everyone could say goodbye before he passed. Jemma turned around, hearing footsteps in the hall. Mack appeared in the doorway, appearing grim. The smile slipped off Jemma's face and she felt a sense of wrongness.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice quiet. Mack opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Jemma didn't need words though. She was the one Mack came to tell, which only meant one thing. "No-"

Everything that happened in the next hour was a blur. Her knees gave out from under her and Mack was there suddenly, supporting her. Jemma couldn't even process this, all she knew was that he was gone, after everything they went through, he was- no. She refused to believe it.

"I'll get him back," Jemma whispered to Mack. "I have to, to make up for all the times he's saved me, _I have to."_

"Simmons, he's-"

"Don't you dare! He's not, he will be all right, I'll get him back!" She screamed, trying to pull away from Mack's hold, but he didn't let her. He held on tight, knowing she needed someone with her right now. And Mack needed someone too. He watched Fitz- His thought process was cut off when Jemma delivered a painful blow.

"Simmons, you need to think," He says to her through a closed up throat. He was trying his best not to cry in front of her, to be strong for his friend. He continued to hold her until she seemed to calm down. "Go rest. It's been a long day." Jemma nods, attempting to appear put together. She hated crying in front of the others, not because she thought they would judge her, but because she knew they all went through their share of tragedy. This, however, was different. She had stopped caring about that at this moment, all she cared about was that there seemed to be this emptiness in her core that nothing would ever fill.

"How's Simmons?" Daisy asked. The news had just been delivered to her. She was crushed about it. Sure, Fitz got on her nerves and he did give her back her powers by force during his psychotic break, but he was still her friend. She was trying not to cry, but a few tears slipped down her cheek.

"Less than great, " Mack told her. "She'll need sometime to adjust."

"How are _you_? I mean, with becoming the new director and seeing Fitz… how are you holding up?"

Mack shrugged. "I'm ok, considering. Good job saving the world."

"Thanks. I felt like I should've done more, like somehow I might've been able to saved Fitz-"

"Hey, don't put this on yourself. If anyone is to blame, it's me. He ran into that ship because he knew I was in danger, he shouldn't have done that."

"Mack, it's not your fault," A voice said from behind him. He turned his head to see Yo-Yo, her eyes slightly red and her metal hands in fists by her side. "Fitz wanted to save you. He knew the risks and he wouldn't want you blaming yourself. You either," she finished, nodding her head towards Daisy. The two opposite the cyborg-Inhuman nodded, not saying a word. Yo-Yo went over to Mack and entwined his fingers with her metal ones.

Jemma was in her room, sitting on the bed. She knew she should probably rest, but she couldn't, not when one half of the bed would be empty. "Simmons, you need to think," Mack had said. But she couldn't think. Not without Fitz. She knew she had to though, to bring him back. She sat there for who know how long, thinking up and discarding theories.

Tahiti? No, that wouldn't work. They were out of the centipede serum, not like it would do anything to someone who was- Jemma shivered. She couldn't even bring herself to think of it. She sat, she stared at a picture of her and Fitz when they were back in the academy, and she tried to figure out how to bring him back.

"Simmons?" The voice startled Jemma slightly, breaking off her chain of thought about if Daisy's mom could be of any help. "I let myself in, you didn't seem to notice when I knocked."

"Sir! You shouldn't be up, you should be resting!"

"I've been resting for the past twelve hours, I thought you were doing the same thing," Coulson said, glancing at the made bed Jemma was sitting on. "Guess I was wrong."

"I can't sleep. Not when I know that, I'll be sleeping alone," She said, shaking her head and trying not to cry again. She had done enough crying. Now was time for her to take action.

"I heard. Jemma, if there's anything you need-"

"No, I should ask you that. You're the one who nearly died. How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right, a little cold, I wish I knew how to work the A/C. But besides that, this is one of my good days. Well, besides nearly dying," Coulson told the young doctor, she had stopped listening almost as soon as he started talking. "Simmons? You all right?"

Simmons took a while to answer, the gear in her brain turning. A smile came onto her face and tears came to her eyes again. But this time, she was crying tears of joy. "Cold! Coulson, that's it! I can save him, I can-!"

"Simmons, you know he's gone."

"But he's not! I mean, he is, but the past version of him is still alive, just really-"

"Cold," Coulson finished for her, a smile on his face now too. "He's in space, in the cryo-freeze."

"Right!" Jemma said, grateful he was on the same page as her. "Since we broke the time loop, he won't need to save us anymore, so all we have to do is find him!" Jemma started laughing with relief, she could get him back. All she had to do was find him.


End file.
